


Gon and Killua: A Whale of a Time

by t0talcha0s



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Canon Compliant, Friendship, Introspection, POV Killua, POV Second Person, They're boys yknow, They're just really good boys, boys, whale island
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22959598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t0talcha0s/pseuds/t0talcha0s
Summary: It would be wrong to say that Gon Freecss has lived a normal life, but as he invites you to be a part of it you can't help but feel intimidated by how pleasantly mundane it all is. You've never had a vacation, and you're not sure this qualifies, but a month with Gon on Whale Island sounds like the best respite you never would have thought to ask for.
Relationships: Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Gon and Killua: A Whale of a Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neverwherever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverwherever/gifts).



> This is just a fanfiction about boys. Dedicated to one of the two roommates who was solidly in hunter x hunter jail with me for about a cool month and a half. This one's for you Jules.

Gon looks at you. His left eyelid is taped up against his forehead and it twitches as his right eye blinks and he’s looking at you. He smiles that sun splitting smile and he calls your name and he tells you you look like shit and you tell him he does too and neither of you mean it. Your face does hurt, your body too, in the dull way that has sat behind every movement for your entire life. Milluki doesn’t have the strongest arm but there was genuine anger behind each stroke as he whipped you. You suppose he was still upset about you stabbing him and all. But none of this matters, Gon is back. Gon traveled to get you, all the way here. The mark on his head looks painful. 

He’s brought the other two with him, from the hunter exam, Kurapika and Leorio. You acknowledge them but Gon is still smiling at you. Gotoh is looking at you too with a sort of confusion behind his glasses, like he can’t fathom this boy. You get it, and you know Gotoh gets it too, why you want to leave for him. 

Whale Island is small. Small and insignificant and the people hold a certain sort of swarthy charm. Gon, on the ship ride over, rests his head against the wall of the ship and falls asleep. You skim over his face as he breath slows into the long even gusts of sleep. His eyelashes are long and dark, his nostrils flare gently as he breathes, the tight arch of his eyebrows smoothes out a little. You can’t resist getting out a pen, attempting not to disturb him as you move quickly to draw on his cheek. You get one line down before Gon puts his hand on your chest and pushes you back into your seat, his eyes wide and glinting mischief as he makes a not-quite chuckle. 

“You almost got me Killua” 

“Almost, look at your cheek idiot” Instead he licks his thumb and scrubs harshly at the mark. It leaves behind a red splotch. 

“You _Almost_ got me Killua.” He says again, sticking his tongue out at you. You don’t try to disturb him the rest of the trip, or maybe you do a little but you can’t be blamed. 

When you reach Whale Island, scale the hill leading up to Gon’s house, Gon’s Aunt recognizes you. She’s a pretty woman with orange hair and wide amber eyes that aren’t quite as bright as Gon’s but contain the same sort of openness. She smiles as you walk up onto her lawn and says 

“You must be Killua” and you nod at her because you’re out of your depth and she recognizes you. You don’t quite know the protocol for this but Gon smiles and you all end up inside and Aunt Mito says you must be hungry and you must be tired and she demands you and Gon go bathe your travels off and let her wash your clothes. Gon rushes around you, a familiarity with the situation that throws into relief how all of this Normality confuses you. He’s a domestic hurricane. You feel, simultaneously, like you’re intruding and joyously overwhelmed as you’re surrounded by Gon and his friendship. 

“Is she always like this?” You ask, meaning is It always like this, bright and dripping with love in the corners. 

“Pretty much” says Gon and he digs his fingers between your shirt and undershirt and pulls upward. His fingers are cold but it’s not uncomfortable. You’re barely startled by it. You yield to him and lift your arms, scooting off your chair and following his lead. You follow him to the bathroom and the last time you took a bath with someone else you were much much younger and would splash water into Milluki’s eyes and hold your breath as long as you could when Illumi would walk in and shove you under the water. _Not long enough_ he’d tell you and do it again, building up your lung capacity. 

This is different though, Gon throws bubbles at you and when you splash him he laughs and smiles that smile that makes his eyes twinkle up in the corners. Gon gets the bathwater exactly how you like it and you wonder if he knew somehow or if it was just luck. Gon is very lucky. You are very lucky too, right now. He foams bubbles into the bath and his skin is tanner than yours and it is smooth and gleaming and heaven’s arena left him with more muscle and fewer scars. The shampoo smells like his hair does and you rub it into your scalp and you are in awe at how relaxed you are. Your shoulders feel soft and comfortable, your eyes are wide trying to take in everything new, your back against the tub is unknotted, it’s unfamiliar and decidedly good. Gon sits near napping on the rim of the tub. He leans on his folded arms, eyes closed, and the lines of his face are light and unbothered and he says under his breath

“This is the life” and it feels like it’s directed at you. He cracks an eye open and looks at you. “Don’t forget behind your ears, it’s stinky back there.” You give him a glare and call him an idiot and reach over to give him a good punch but it’s half hearted and he leans out of the way and laughs. He moves to push you under the water and you dive under willingly, rinsing the bubbles out of your hair. 

The house smells delicious as you move down the stairs, the kitchen table covered in all manner of food and you and Gon express your awe. You sit next to him, next to Aunt Mito, going immediately for one of the meatballs. Before moving for the food Gon, Aunt Mito, and her grandmother clasp their hands and close their eyes. You dart your gaze across their faces trying to figure out what to do. Gon peaks his left eye open, smiles at you in a lopsided way. You see in his expression him there in the butler’s quarters, back at your family’s home. The same eye refusing to close through tape, the same kindness in his iris. 

“We’re offering gratitude” he whispers to you and you’re overcome with the fact that he’s letting you in on all of this. He’s keeping his eye open to ensure you're welcome here, inviting you in. Your chest titters in an uncomfortable way. You don’t just want to be here you’re wanted here, your face feels hot with it. It’s embarrassing how much you want this, how much you’re being given. You’re drowning in it and you wouldn’t know how to offer your gratitude to him if you knew to do so. Gon has this ability to take the most beautiful things in the world and give them away. Or more accurately, if he’s in a selfish mood, which he usually is, he will at least share them. And there’s no one else to occupy his attention right now so it’s almost too much. The voice of Aunt Mito is a blessing when she says 

“Let’s eat!” And you do. 

After lunch Gon tells you he wants to show you the forest. He’s brimming with energy to do so, kicking his knees high and jogging through the house as you change your pants and put on your shoes.

“Come on Killua!” He urges when you take a little too long slipping your boots on. 

Gon, in the jungle, is the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen. The green of the sun through tree’s leaves swaddles him in a glorious aura. He’s meant to be here, he’s more at home then he is in his house, his long legs spring confident steps across wild ground and he’s so fast you actually have to try to keep up with him. It’s exhilarating to catch him and push him out of the way only to feel, seconds later, hands on your shoulders as Gon jumps his way over you. You race for a while, and Gon tells you about Whale Island, his foxbear friend he raised from a cub, the master of the swamp, how leaves rustle in several different ways and each one means something different. This is one area where he has more experience and more knowledge and it shows. 

Gon teaches you to fish, casting his rod reminds you of the first day you met when he almost ate shit on your skateboard and you snagged the back of some poor wannabe hunter’s shirt. This time you’re significantly better and Gon compliments your catch and then goes and lands an even bigger fish. He smiles and he’s got water dripping down his face and he hurts to look at. He’s unbridled, every emotion pours out of him and when he’s like this with no stresses and no concerns or enemies he’s blinding. It’s not even his aura, it's just Gon. Just you and Gon. 

The two of you light a campfire and cook your fish. The stars are more than you’ve ever seen, they’ve coalesced into these incredible swathes of light. You lay on your back and cross your legs and feel Gon relax on the ground the same.

“Hey,” you ask him “what’s your plan now?” 

“Spend another month here then go to Yorknew to look for my dad.” There’s something in your chest, it’s not upset or anger but a subtle discomfort. 

“I wonder what I should do”

“What? Stay! Go to Yorknew with me!”

“That’s not what I meant” Of course you’re going to Yorknew, of course you’re staying with Gon. “It’s just, you’re cool for having all these goals. I don’t have any plans, I don’t know what I want to do with my life.” You’re not a killing machine you don’t want to be an assassin you do know what you want to do but it’s wishful thinking. You hesitate to tell Gon, it’s not only embarrassing, but you remember how swiftly Illumi had shut you down. _That’s not happening_ and your world shrank to a pinpoint.

“I envy you” you tell Gon and he just looks at you with those eyes. 

“Killua” he says “I like hanging out with you.” Like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Like it could always be as easy as it is right now. Like he could gift wrap this moment and put it at the foot of your bed every morning and you could just have it and you could just be happy. The two of you. Your cheeks light up so quickly you couldn’t stop it. 

“Cut it out! It’s so easy for you to say embarrassing things.” Gon looks away from you, up at the stars. You’re more embarrassed that he knows you so easily, that he can tell you’re struggling. 

“Whale Island is an outpost for fishermen, there are hardly any permanent residents. I’m homeschooled and there’s only one other little kid around here. You’re my first friend around my age.” He slips his eyes over to look at you without moving his head, the corners of his mouth turning up like he’s proud of himself or incredulous maybe. 

“I was stuck at home too just learning how to kill people. You’re my first friend ever.” 

“Do you have fun when you’re with me?” You breath slams to a halt in your chest and you resist the urge to grab his shoulders and force him to understand just how stupid that question is. Instead you let out an exhale and try to sound cool. 

“Well… yeah” Gon responds so fast it seems like he was only waiting for your response as a courtesy.

“Then let’s stay together! I’ll try to find my dad and you can try to find what you want to do! It’ll be fun!” Gon is smart and naturally perceptive but he hasn’t figured that you know what you want to do. If you had your way it’d be you and Gon exploring the world and you and Gon playing games and when you and Gon got so old, older than Netero, it would be you and Gon sitting on rocking chairs complaining about your pains of age and laughing about all you’d done together. You know what you want, you have for a while now, you want to be friends with Gon. 

“Yeah” you say “that doesn’t sound so bad.”

“So you’ll come with me?” 

‘Until I find something I want to do more.”

When you get back to the house Gon sits with Aunt Mito at the table and you move upstairs to Gon’s room. You’re tired, not exhausted or in pain, it would just be nice to sleep. You roll out a bedroll and drape one of Aunt Mito’s comforters over it. You put a pillow down and kneel next to it to consider laying down. But you look over at Gon’s bed. It’s unmade and has the same comforter and it just looks, for some reason, so much more comfortable. You decide it then, getting up and flopping onto Gon’s bed. It is more comfortable. Not because the sheets are softer or the comforter more fluffed or the pillowcase more clean. 

The beds are near identical, yours is closer to the floor, this one just smells like Gon. It’s a comforting smell and hard to describe: the natural scent of a boy’s body and grass and chiles and something sweet like honey and warm like amber. It’s just, it’s Gon, and that’s comforting to you now. It scares you if you think about it too hard but you can’t think too hard right now, this whole trip, here in his house in his bed. Even without him in the room with you he calms your brain, the ever present pressure of your family diminished. You begin to wonder what it is about him, his eyes and his smiles and his bullheaded selfishness and how he refuses to let you go, like you couldn’t leave him even if you wanted to even if you ever ever wanted to if the thought ever crossed your mind out of more than fear even if you could ever convince yourself to part from him you wouldn’t really be out of his reach even if you got yourself killed even if you fought him for it even if you wanted to it’s not your decision only he gets to be selfish and you were taught so young to be selfish and how he just couldn’t let you leave like its not even your choice and he would never make it. You fall asleep. You fall asleep within seconds, sprawled leg and messy on his bed and you fall asleep and you wait for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Can you guess what my favorite episode is? also Yeah I'm mixing manga canon and anime canon @ me about it bitches.  
> You can (and arguably should) reach me in the comment sections or on my sparsely accessed tumblr @Barefootcosplayer


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